Tecno Mobile Is Said To Be Release It 4G LTE Connectivity Smart Phone

                          

There is a rumor that Tecno Mobile  is preparing  to release it new flagship of Smart phone, The Camon C5.

  

This one is coming with 4G LTE connectivity and also rumored to carry 2 or 3 GB of Ram, 16GB or 32GB of Rom.

  

The phone is said to have metal body, a 5-inch display screen , and running the latest Android platform Lollipop OS.

I can also predict it runs an Octa-core Mediatek processor with an 8 MP back camera, dual flash light , with bottum Camera for quick pictures. 

Here is another image leak of this device from Tecno Mobile Kenya.

Let  just hope that Tecno Mobile gets it right with this phone pricing .

Another Earth Discover By NASA, Earth 2.0

                             

Yesterday , NASA  announced that scientists have found an Earth-like planet, Kepler-452b about 1,400 light year away from us.

This new Earth-twin exists at such a distance from a star Kepler 452, where water could exist. This discovery (and more) is a result of about analysis of four years’ data from the Kepler Space Telescope which has been looking for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars similar to our Sun.

 This Earth-like planet, or what people are calling Earth 2.0, orbits its star in a habitable zone i.e. a region where water could exist in liquid state.
During its four years  work, Kepler Space Telescope found about 500 exoplanets, out of which 12 are of size comparable to the Earth.

This Earth-like planet receives about 10 percent more light than Earth currently does and in another 1.5 billion years, Earth will receive the same amount of sunlight. This means, Kepler-452b is Earth’s older cousin. Kepler-452b is the first one to be confirmed as a planets and its star possesses an interesting similarity to our Sun.

It is just 12 percent brighter than our Sun and four percent heavier. This Earth-like planet Kepler-452b orbits at about same distance as Earth, taking about 385 days to complete one full revolution.
                         

 Let’s take a quick look at what we know about the Earth 2.0 so far: It is about 60% larger than Earth 1.0 and the closest exoplanet so far. It is at a distance of 1,400 light years from Earth. It is rocky, thus confirming a sold surface. It orbits its very own star named Kepler 452 at a distance near-about same as Earth’s orbital distance. It completes one revolution is every 385 days. Earth 2.0’s star is about 6 billion years old i.e. about 1.5 billion years older than our Sun.

During the long-awaited announcement, NASA  said that it right now they don’t know if there’s life on Kepler-452b.
The Kepler data analysis head said: “It’s simply awe-inspiring to consider that this planet has spent 6 billion years in the habitable zone of its star, which is long than the age of the Earth.
That’s considerable time and opportunity for life to arise somewhere on the surface … should all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life on this planet.

Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to get there at the moment, Kepler 452b is warm, possibly wet and might be able to host plant life, however it's  1,400 light years away. 
A lightyear is the distance that a beam of light can travel in a year. Light travels at over 670 million miles per hour.  Light  from the  sun takes around eight minutes to reach the Earth. So naturally, a trip to Kepler 452b would take an incredibly long time. 
NASA's new horizon prob-the one that recently took the amazing pictures of Pluto - left Earth's orbit faster than any other spacecraft before it, at around 36,373 MPh. 

If a spacecraft carrying humans travelled at this speed towards Kepler 452b, it would take the unlucky astronauts around 25.8 million years to get there, to put in perspective, early primitive humans only evolved around 2.5 million years ago. So if you are planning to take a trip to Earth 2.0, don't book your ticket until they make slightly faster spacecrafts. 
                                     

Boko Haram Is Threaten Nigeria's future, US Warns

The United States of America (USA), on Thursday said it was concerned by increasing Boko Haram violence and territorial gains in Nigeria,
Warning that the deteriorating situation threatened the African giant's future. 

Boko Haram, which has been waging a violent insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since 2009, has in recent weeks overrun and held swathes of territory in Nigeria's far northeast.

The militants on Monday reportedly took over Bama, 70 kilometres (45 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where 10,000 youths, former soldiers and police gathered on Thursday vowing to push back the advance.

Multiple testimonies from residents who have been fleeing Bama all week contradicted military claims that soldiers still held the town.

The truth is that Boko Haram fighters are in firm control of Bama," said one resident, Muhammadu Mai Tumatur, who escaped to Maiduguri. "The have occupied the military barracks and the palace of the emir and they have hoisted their flags in both places. There is not a single soldier in the town, the gunmen are in control. 

US Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington was "very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects of an attack on Maiduguri. And in a thinly veiled reference to Abuja's insistence that Nigerian sovereignty remained intact, she added:
This is a sober reality check for all of us. "We are past time for denial and pride." Maiduguri is home to an estimated one million people, but numbers have swollen as residents from elsewhere in Borno have flocked to the city to escape the bloodshed. More than 700,000 had been internally displaced, with the violence battering an already fragile local economy, hitting food supplies and threatening to disenfranchise voters at next year's elections, Thomas-Greenfield said.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that at least 9,000 Nigerians had fled to Cameroon in the last 10 days alone. Nearly 10,000 escaped to Niger in August. 

Thomas-Greenfield, who heads Washington's Africa Affairs team, said Boko Haram's claim that the captured Borno town of Gwoza was now part of an Islamic caliphate "only adds to the perception that the security situation is steadily worsening.  

All of these developments are deeply disturbing, and increasingly dangerous with each passing day," she told a bilateral security meeting in Abuja. Before Bama fell, the militants seized Gamboru Ngala, Buni Yadi in Yobe state and Madagali in Adamawa, with Nigerian troops seemingly unable to match their firepower.

Hundreds of soldiers abandoned their posts, some crossing the border into Cameroon, although the military said they had not fled but were instead conducting "tactical manoeuvres". Experts have warned that Nigeria's government was on the brink of losing control of the northeast and the violence risked spreading across borders with an accompanying humanitarian crisis.

The reputation of Nigeria's military is at stake. But more importantly, Nigeria's and its children's future is in jeopardy. Failure is not an option," Thomas-Greenfield said.

Bama residents said heavily armed militants were roaming the town and had until now spared civilians. One of them, Mustapha Tor, said a "large number" of troops were in Kawuri, 20 kilometres away, although they had not mounted a counter-attack. Most people had left because of previous atrocities, he added. "We know what they did in Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala, where they told residents they could stay but later turned and killed them," Tor said.

Thomas-Greenfield said Washington would soon announce the launch of a major border security programme, which will include Nigeria and its neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In Maiduguri, youths, local hunters armed with homemade guns and bows and arrows as well as former soldiers and police, promised to fight the militants and end the insurgency.

The state co-ordinator of the civilian vigilantes, Mallam Abba Aji Kalli, said: "We are optimistic that with our gora (sticks in Hausa) and other local arms, we will raid all terrorist hideouts and kill them when given permission by the federal government.

May/June 2014 WAEC Results is out

The Head of National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Charles Eguridu, has announced the release of the May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result.

Addressing newsmen at the WAEC National office in Lagos, Monday, Eguridu disclosed that a total number of 1,705,976 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 1,692,435 candidates, consisting of 929,075 male and 763,360 female candidates sat for the examination. According to his analysis, out of 1,692,435 candidates that sat for the examination, a total number of 529,425 candidates, representing 31.28 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

This figure, when compared to the 2012 and 2013 May/June WASSCE diets, shows a marginal decline in the performance of candidates. In May/June 2012 WASSCE, 38.81 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above including English language and Mathematics. In 2013, the percentage declined to 36.57 per cent; and this year, we have 31.28 per cent.”
“With this presentation, most Nigerians would quickly place the blame on the doorstep of schools and government. But they will not be quick enough to compare what quality use to be in those days when parents are part of their wards learning.

Contemporary parents no longer show commitment to the learning outcome of their children, those who excel in life are those who do what others are unable to do.

That is, going extra mile with their studies, and so with all analysis I can tell you that the Nigerian child did not let us down, it is parents that have failed the nation” Eguridu said

He hinted that 1,605,613 candidates, representing 94.87% have their results fully released, while 86,822 candidates, representing 5.13% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors, mainly traceable to laxity on the part of the candidates and the schools in the course of registration or writing the examination.

“Such errors are being corrected by the Council to enable the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released as soon as they are ready.

” Eguridu said the results of 145,795 candidates, representing 8.61 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various types of examination malpractice, which were reported both during the conduct and marking of the May/June 2014 WASSCE.

“The cases are being investigated and the reports of the investigations will be presented in November to the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), the highest decision-making organ of the Council on examination-related matters in Nigeria for consideration.

The Committee’s decisions will, thereafter, be communicated to the affected candidates through their schools.

” He said, the Council has decided to extend the normal registration period for the November/December 2014 WASSCE, to Sunday August 17, 2014, so as to enable candidates who sat the last May/June examination, and who may have any deficiencies, to register for the November/December examination diet, if they so wish. He advised candidates who sat for the May/June 2014 WASSCE to check the details of their performance on the Council’s results website www.waecdirect.org within the next 24 hours.

No Place for New Cold War Says US-CHINA

China and the United States must avoid a new cold war in their international relations, China's top newspaper said on Saturday, in the wake of high level talks in Beijing between senior leaders of the world's two largest economies.

China and the United States agreed on Thursday to boost military ties and counter-terrorism cooperation during annual talks in Beijing, but there was little immediate sign of progress on thorny cyber-security or maritime issues.

Both China and the United States realize that today's world has already undergone profound changes, and there is no longer a market for a "new cold war", the People's Daily, the ruling communist party's official paper, said in a commentary.

It was published under the pen name "Zhong Sheng", meaning "Voice of China", often used to give views on foreign policy.

The commentary said that the gravest risk to relations between the two countries was misunderstanding, and called for both sides to strengthen channels of communication as they looked to shake off a "hazy" period of bilateral relations.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged a Chinese businessman on Friday with hacking into the computer system of airplane maker Boeing Co and other companies to obtain data about military projects, the latest in a string of spying allegations between the two countries.
The commentary added that complex Sino-U.S. ties were unlikely to get easier to manage any time soon. Positive steps would include boosting bilateral investment, deepening cooperation on environmental issues, strengthening military ties and making travel easier between the two countries.

If we deal with "the relationship" well, it could benefit both sides. But if we deal with this badly, that could be a slippery slope to terrible competition and even conflict.

Free Sudanese woman have been re-arrested

Sudanese authorities re-arrested a Sudanese woman on Tuesday hours.

After she was freed from death row, and detained her and her family as they tried to board a plane in Khartoum, a security source and her lawyer said.
Mariam Yahya Ibrahim, 27, sentenced to death last month for converting to Christianity from Islam, was released on Monday after what the government said was unprecedented international pressure.

The security official said he did know the reason for the re-arrest. One of Ibrahim's lawyers said she was being held at a security building outside the airport with her husband and two children.
Ibrahim was freed by an appeal court on Monday which cancelled her death sentence.
She was then sent to a secret location for her protection after her family reported receiving threats. Her release was welcomed by human rights groups and Western governments that had voiced outrage at the death sentence.

UK to launch it new largest aircraft carries

The new UK largest warship ever,  constructed for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy will be officially named in a special ceremony on July 4. Queen Elizabeth II will be on hand to christen the aircraft carrier, which will be named in her honor, according to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence.

HMS Queen Elizabeth ushers in a new class of aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy, according to the Ministry of Defence.  The carriers will be versatile enough to be used across the full spectrum of military activity from war fighting to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief, defense officials said in a statement. The new Queen Elizabeth-class (QE-class) warships will each weigh 71,650 tons and will be capable of deploying the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II jets, which are designed to take off from short runways and land vertically.  the British Ministry of Defence has committed to purchasing 138 F-35 jets, according to Lockheed Martin Corp., the plane's lead contractor. This summer, the stealth F-35s will be showcased at two separate air shows in the U.K.
The Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire and the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire. Assembly of the HMS Queen Elizabeth started about three years ago at Rosyth, a major dockyard about half an hour's drive north from Edinburgh, Scotland. Construction of the next QE-class ship, the Prince of Wales, is expected to begin at Rosyth later this year.  

Combined with the Lightning II aircraft, the QE class will bolster the Royal Navy’s ability to project power across the world and there is a lot of excitement about the ship nearing completion after years of hard work by thousands of highly skilled workers,   U.K. defence secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement. HMS Queen Elizabeth will be ready for military service in 2017, reported the Independent. Once deployed, the ship will carry 1,600 people, 40 jets, helicopters and with a range.

Russian Rocket Carrying A $275 Million Telecommunications Satellite Failed and Burned Up Shortly After Launch

Russian rocket carrying a $275 million telecommunications satellite failed and burned up shortly after launch on Friday, the latest in a series of setbacks for Russia’s once-pioneering space industry.

It was the second failure for Russia’s workhorse Proton-M rocket in less than a year, and the second time that it had failed to deliver a European satellite intended to provide advanced telecoms and Internet access to remote parts of Russia, after the last one crashed shortly after launch in 2011.

Friday’s unmanned mission went awry when the engine on the third stage of the Proton-M booster rocket failed, Oleg Ostapenko, head of the Russian space agence  spoke, He said the precise cause was unknown.

The failure occurred at an altitude of 160 km (100 miles), about nine minutes after the early-morning lift-off from the Russian-leased Baikonur facility in Kazakhstan.

The state-run RIA quoted Ostapenko as saying that the rocket and all debris had burned up in the atmosphere: “We can say with certainty that nothing reached Earth.” However, Russian media said some debris may have fallen into the Pacific or been scattered over Siberia and Russia’s Far East.

No casualties or damage were reported on the ground. The lost Express AM4R satellite, worth more than 200 million euros ($275 million), was described by its maker Astrium, a unit of the European aerospace group Airbus AIR.PA, as one of the most powerful satellites built in Europe. Its loss delays a number of commercial projects by three to four years. “It’s a heavy blow, of course. And the thing is that our workhorse rocket  our most powerful and the most-used rocket  has such a bad record,” Ivan Moiseyev, head of the Russian-based Institute of Space Policy think tank, told Kommersant-FM radio. He said the rocket had a 7 percent failure rate, and its unreliability was making it harder forRussia to compete in the multibillion-dollar global satellite launch industry, giving a boost to its European rival Arianespace and the American newcomer SpaceX. “It’s a very unsuccessful picture on the whole and, if you compare it with our main competitors, with Europe, their last accident was 12 years ago,” Moiseyev said. Last July, three navigation satellites worth about $200 million were lost when the Proton-M rocket crashed near the launch pad shortly after take-off. That accident strained relations between Kazakhstan and Russia and led Kazakhstan to temporarily ban Proton launches from Baikonur. State-run Rossiya-24 television said all launches had been suspended from Kazakhstan after Friday’s failure

#Bring Back our Girls. Nigeria Crisis

The social media rallying cry has generated global attention for nearly 300 girls abducted from their boarding school in Nigeria by Boko Haram militants. But why hasn't more been done to find them? And why did it take so long for the Nigerian government and others to take action? On Friday.

Interviewed Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala live from Abuja, the capital city, where she was attending the World Economic Forum on Africa. Okonjo-Iweala praised business leaders for coming together in support of the missing girls and helping to launch a safe schools initiative.

While she gave her support to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, she expressed outrage over the situation involving the missing girls. "I have a daughter, I have four children.It's unacceptable and unimaginable," she said. Her own mother was kidnapped and released after five days in 2012. Joining Couric in New York was Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who wrote an influential column about the missing girls last Sunday.

The greatest threat to militancy in the long run comes not from drones but from girls with schoolbooks," he wrote. He echoed that sentiment with Couric.

The government is responsible for protecting its students. The biggest treasure isn't oil, it's children." Also interviewed from Abuja was human rights activist Hafsat Abiola, who criticized her government's ineffectual efforts to find the girls. "We don't want to listen to explanations. We want to see results and our girls come home," she said. Abiola knows first hand about the violence that has plagued Nigeria over the years. Her father was elected president of Nigeria in 1993 but was jailed by the military before taking office.

He later died in prison. Abiola's mother was killed during a demonstration for her husband in 1996. As the conversation circled back to the global social media movement, Couric brought in filmmaker and activist Ramaa Mosley, who has played an integral role in spreading #BringBackOurGirls around the world. "I've been seeing it as an SOS to the world," Mosley said. Though the slogan was originally generated in Nigeria, Mosley's initiative to spread the hashtag has been credited with sparking international outrage over the girls' abduction and the slow response by the Nigerian government and the international community. 

Who Are The kidnapper of Nigerian Girls?

What Happened? As many as 300 teenaged girls were abducted from their school in Nigeria on April 15 by the Islamic militant terror organization Boko Haram. The group is based in Nigeria and has carried out attacks on schools before. Some girls managed to escape, but many are believed to have been transported into neighboring Cameroon or Chad.

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has said he plans to sell the girls into marriages and sex slavery.

What Is the World Doing to Rescue the Girls?

The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has received criticism for waiting weeks to ask for international assistance in helping recover the girls. He now says the government is doing all it can to find them and bring them home alive. A team of U.S. experts has arrived in Nigeria to assist the government there in trying to rescue the girls. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said today the team consisted of law enforcement, intelligence and military experts who will use counter-terrorism efforts in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Nigerian peace negotiator  that he has proposed a formal negotiation between Nigerian Islamic clerics and Boko Haram that would see the girls returned alive within a week in exchange for insurgents currently imprisoned in Nigeria.
He said the fact that Boko Haram threatened to sell the girls rather than kill them is a positive sign that they'd be open to negotiations.

Could the Kidnapping Have Been Prevented?

Amnesty International said this week that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction of more than 240 schoolgirls.

The Nigerian government has also been criticized for its failure to battle Boko Haram in recent years as the terror group has increased its attacks, sophistication, and organization. The U.S. State Department and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received criticism for not designating Boko Haram a terror organization until very recently, in November, 2013, despite earlier attacks. The State Department said Thursday it worried the designation would boost recruiting efforts for the group and was unsure whether Boko Haram posed any threat outside of Nigeria.

Is Anyone Else Trying to Help?

Protesters across Nigeria rallied this weekend to draw attention to the plight of the girls. The Twitter hashtag  "#BringBackOurGirls"   has been trending at various points since the girls were taken, with many users from around the world demanding a swift rescue of the girls. 

Russian patriotism at Victory Day parade, Putin hails all conquering

Thousands of Russian troops marched through Red Square on Friday as Moscow put on a powerful show of patriotism and military might following its annexation of Crimea. As Ukraine's crisis rumbled on with pro-Moscow rebels pushing ahead with independence votes, President Vladimir Putin praised Russian patriotism and loyalty to the state. "This is a holiday when all-conquering patriotic force triumphs, when we all feel especially strongly what it means to be true to the Motherland and how important it is to be able to stand up for its interests, Putin told massed troops to shouts of "Hurrah! Hurrah!" Russia's annual parade celebrating victory over the Nazis held special resonance this year amid the crisis in Ukraine, which has seen Russia annex Crimea and fighting in pro-Moscow areas in the east where separatists are threatening to break away.

Similar Victory Day celebrations were planned for later Friday in Sevastopol, with Russian media reporting that Putin could make a triumphant appearance at the Crimean port. As dozens of helicopters and planes soared in the bright blue sky over Moscow, thousands of troops marched alongside tanks, mobile missile systems and armoured vehicles to the sound of a brass band. In contrast to the display of military hardware on Red Square, Ukraine planned muted Victory Day celebrations in a bid to avoid violence. The head of Kiev's city council banned large scale public gatherings or parades in the capital, fearing that the veterans could be attacked by Russian provocateurs.

Ukraine security strengthened - Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said he fears recent softer comments from Putin are a prelude to provocation. "I am concerned about Vladimir Putin's statement. It caused a bad feeling. They say one thing and do another. After this statement, I asked law enforcement officers to strengthen security measures on May 9, Yatsenyuk told Ukrainian television.

In Wednesday, the Kremlin strongman stunned the world with an abrupt U-turn on Ukraine, calling on pro-Russian separatists in the east to delay independence referendums planned for this weekend and welcoming a May 25 presidential election. But the rebels holed up in more than a dozen towns and cities in eastern Ukraine defied his plea and vowed to press ahead with referendums this Sunday that are bound to stoke tensions.

If Putin does head to Sevastopol, it will be his first visit to Crimea since the Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Moscow in March.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Thursday warned Putin against making the visit, saying it would be a "pity" if he went to the region. The crisis in Ukraine, which kicked off after the ouster of the country's pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych in February, has sunk Russia's relations with the West to their lowest point since the Cold War.

The United States and European Union have imposed a series of sanctions on Putin and his inner circle and EU ministers are to meet on Monday to consider further measures.

Fears of war on Europe's doorstep have been fired by fighting pitting Ukrainian troops against pro-Moscow gunmen in the east of the country, mainly around the town of Slavyansk.
Ukraine has lost 14 troops and three helicopter gunships with 66 servicemen injured in assaults on the rebels.
The fighting has also claimed the lives of more than 30 insurgents. Clashes that resulted in a horrific inferno in the southern port city of Odessa last week claimed another 42 lives, most of them pro-Russian activists, pushing the death toll over the past week to nearly 90.

Fascist' collaborators - The violence has prompted many Western politicians to warn that the country of 46 million people is slipping towards a civil war that would imperil peace in Europe. The Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany has long been a source of great pride throughout the ex-USSR, which lost some 30 million citizens during World War II. But this year's celebrations have exposed the deep divisions between Russia and Ukraine. Ahead of the events, Kiev has cast Russia as an aggressor bent on sowing chaos in Ukraine, while the Kremlin has accused its neighbour's pro-Western authorities of siding with "fascists" and ultra-right groups.

Fuelling tensions is the hugely controversial legacy of the nationalist movement in western Ukraine, which was occupied by the Soviet Union and whose Ukrainian Insurgent Army collaborated with Nazi Germany. Animosity between the two Slavic nations has reached such levels that Ukraine decided to drop the black-and-orange Saint George ribbon, which Russians cherish as a symbol of Victory Day.

The biggest Muslim rebel group in Philippines signed a peace deal

The biggest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines signed an historic pact Thursday to end one of Asia's longest and deadliest conflicts, promising to give up their arms for an autonomous homeland. Following four decades of fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the peace deal with President Benigno Aquino's government at a high-profile ceremony in Manila.

 The comprehensive agreement on Bangsamoro is the crowning glory of our struggle, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim said at the signing ceremony, using a local term that refers to a Muslim homeland. "With this agreement the legitimate aspirations of the Bangsamoro and the commitment of the government of the Philippines to recognise those aspirations are now sealed." The pact makes the MILF and the government partners in a plan to create a southern autonomous region for the Philippines' Muslim minority with locally elected leaders by mid-2016. "What is being presented before us now is a path that can lead to a permanent change in Muslim Mindanao," Aquino said at the ceremony, attended by more than 1,000 people.

The Bangsamoro region would cover about 10 percent of territory in the mainly Catholic Philippines. The planned region has a majority of Muslims, but there are clusters of Catholic-dominated communities. Muslim rebels have been battling since the 1970s for independence or autonomy in the southern islands of the Philippines, which they regard as their ancestral homeland dating back to when Arabic traders arrived there in the 13th Century.

The conflict has condemned millions of people across large parts of the resource-rich Mindanao region to brutal poverty, plagued by Muslim and Christian warlords as well as outbreaks of fighting that has led to mass displacements.

The conflict also created fertile conditions for Islamic extremism, with the Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf group and other hardline militants making remote regions of Mindanao their strongholds. The MILF, which the military estimates has 10,000 fighters, is easily the biggest Muslim rebel group in Mindanao, and the political settlement was greeted with relief and optimism in the south. "I am really happy. In the face of all the hardship of our parents, we the next generation hope and pray that Christians and Muslims will have peace," Mona Rakman,  a mother of four who lives close to the MILF headquarters, The autonomous region would have its own police force, a regional parliament and power to levy taxes, while revenues from the region's vast deposits of natural resources would be split with the national government. It would have a secular government, rather than being an Islamic state. The national government would retain control over defence, foreign policy, currency and citizenship. There are about 10 million Muslims in the Philippines, roughly 10 percent of the population, according to government statistics. Most live in the south of the country.
However there are no guarantees the peace deal will be implemented by the middle of 2016, a crucial deadline as that is when Aquino is required by the constitution to end his six-year term. Aquino needs to convince Congress to pass a "basic law" to create the Bangsamoro autonomous region, ideally by the end of this year to allow time for other steps such as a local plebiscite. But even though Aquino enjoys record-high popularity ratings, there are concerns politicians could reject or water down the proposed law. Powerful Christian politicians in Mindanao are regarded as potential deal breakers, while others elsewhere may see political advantage in opposing the deal to appeal to some Catholics ahead of the 2016 national elections. The deal is also likely to be challenged in the Supreme Court, which in 2008 struck down a planned peace deal the MILF had negotiated with Aquino's predecessor, Gloria Arroyo. Islamic militants opposed to the peace deal are another threat, and could continue to create enduring violence in Mindanao. Among the potential spoilers is the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), an MILF splinter group of a few hundred militants that has carried out deadly attacks in the south in recent years. "We will continue to fight against the government of the Republic of the Philippines because we are for independence and nothing else,"

However the MILF will not give up its arms or the identities of its fighters until the basic law has been passed, highlighting the fragility of Thursday's peace deal. In his speech, Aquino warned militant and political foes alike that he was prepared to crush any challenge to the peace deal. "I will not let peace be snatched from my people again," Aquino said to applause. "Those who want to test the resolve of the state will be met with a firm response based on righteousness and justice.

Bomb blast hit Nigerias Borno state

Security officials say Boko Haram was behind bombing of a crowded market in Borno state that killed at least 20 people. Suspected Boko Haram fighters have detonated a bomb in a crowded marketplace in northeastern Nigeria killing at least 20 people.

eye witnesses said,
Nigerian security officials said the attack late on Saturday in the town of Bama in Borno state bore the hallmarks of an attack by the al-Qaeda-linked group, which is fighting to carve an Islamic state out of northeast Nigeria. Security sources say Boko Haram has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, this year in a campaign of violence that is growing in intensity, according to the Reuters news agency.

There was a deafening bang at the middle of the market. It was in the late afternoon and commercial activities were at their peak," said Shuaibu Abdulahi, a trader at the market. He estimated the death toll to be as high as 29. Abba Tahir, a bus driver who was offloading passengers at the market, said he counted 20 bodies. "People were helping to evacuate the corpses after the confusion had died down. Some people who were injured were taken to the general hospital," Tahir said. No responsibility There was no claim of responsibility for the attack. The military spokesman for Borno state did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A military crackdown since last May has failed to quell the insurgency, which after four and a half years remains the leading security threat to Africa's top oil producer.

Borno state has ordered all of its schools to shut before the end of term to protect children after Boko Haram killed.

5 Alternative to WhatsApp for those who hate that it's owned by Facebook

Facebook announced that it was buying the international messaging service WhatsApp in a mind-boggling $19 billion deal. Though WhatsApp may not necessarily be on your radar, its stats are solid: The Internet messaging application is home to more than 450 million users (many of whom are outside the United States). WhatsApp costs nothing to download and, after a gratis first year, $1 per year to use for unlimited messaging to anyone else with the app. Even more rare: It’s ad-free. Though Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promises that WhatsApp will continue to operate independently, and that the “product will remain unchanged,” you still might be afraid that Facebook could somehow ruin an otherwise wonderful service. Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram came with annoying twee advertisements in your feed, you might remember. We’ll know in due time. But, while we wait, here are a few mostly free WhatsApp alternatives that aren’t owned by Facebook.

1. GroupMe
This app is great for keeping in touch with your many social circles. It’s like a private mobile chatroom that works on a wide range of devices, free of charge. It even allows those with SMS to join the conversation. So if someone in the group doesn’t have a 3G connection, she can still receive group messages for a small fee. It has a very extensive catalog of emoji and a tool that allows you to charge your friends money for something (if, say, they bought you a drink at a concert). It’s particularly helpful if you find yourself at a mixer or a convention and want to share the experience with other people there — or, you know, just gossip about other people with your close inner circle. Mostly, my friends and I just use it to send each other emoji stories. Available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

2. Kik Kik
also allows you to cultivate your own mobile friend group chats, for free, on pretty much every device out there. What sets it apart, however, is an interface that allows you to easily browse the web and share links, photos, videos and games with your friends. It also has its own robust app store, for sharing applications within Kik itself. Available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Nokia.

3. Viber Viber’s
claim to fame is the ability to text, share multimedia and call whomever you want for free. It’s also built up a pretty comprehensive desktop app (to allow for easier video calls). Not to mention, its layout and in-app stickers are cutesy and fun, if you’re into that sort of thing. In essence it’s a good way to save money on a data plan for anyone in a long-distance relationship. Available oniOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Nokia and Bada.

4. Skype
You probably know about the Microsoft-owned Skype, which is a desktop and mobile service that allows you to video chat and message people for free. It allows you to call people for free in your home country, and for as low as 1 cent a minute internationally, depending on the region. You may not have noticed this, but it also recently merged its contact address book with old MSN and Hotmail accounts, so you can now reach out to long-lost friends. Unlike WhatsApp, it gives you a little more control over who can contact you, asking you to approve anyone who’s reaching out before a call or message comes through. Available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

5. Kakao Kakao,
though very similar to the others on this list, is probably the most playful of the bunch. The Korean-based messaging app allows you to chat, call and share photos with your friends for free, worldwide. Its unique features include the ability to send voice notes, share your location and listen to music in a group chatroom. Kakao also provides ridiculously adorable animated “stickers” and themes that you can purchase to make your conversation more personalized. Yet another clever feature that other messaging apps don’t provide: the ability to poll everyone in a group chat on an issue in order to come to a decision quickly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wasted 30 minutes going back and forth with my friend circle about which day they’re free and when they can have dinner. Available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

There you have it. Now you have an escape plan in case Facebook ruins a good thing.

Conflict in South and North Korean peninsula

North Korean patrol boat repeatedly crossed the disputed Yellow Sea border with the South in an apparent show of force at the start of South Korea-US military drills, Seoul's defence ministry said Tuesday. The incursion took place three times overnight Monday and at one point the North Korean naval vessel had reached two nautical miles inside the South side of the border. No shots were fired and the patrol boat eventually retreated after warnings from the South Korean navy, defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said. "We suspect this is aimed at testing our military preparedness", Kim told reporters, saying it was apparent that the vessel had "intentionally violated" the boundary. North Korean incursions over the maritime border -- which it does not officially recognise -- are not unusual and there were at least three last year. This was the first such incident in 2014 and it came as South Korea and the United States on Monday launched their annual joint military exercises, which Pyongyang routinely condemns as rehearsals for invasion. The maritime boundary, which was unilaterally drawn by the US-led United Nations forces after the 1950-53 Korean War, was the scene of brief but bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and 2009.

The war ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty and technically, the two Koreas are still at war. The start of the South-US drills overlapped with the first reunion for more than three years of families divided by the Korean War -- an event that has raised hopes of greater North-South cooperation. Pyongyang had initially insisted that the joint exercises be postponed until after the reunion finished on Tuesday, but Seoul refused and -- in a rare concession -- the North allowed the family gathering to go ahead as scheduled. The annual "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" drills will last until April 18 and involve a combined total of 12,700 US troops and many more from South Korea. Last year's drills fuelled an unusually sharp and protracted surge in military tensions, with Pyongyang threatening a pre-emptive nuclear strike, and nuclear-capable US stealth bombers making dummy runs over the Korean peninsula. US defence officials have indicated -- in an apparent effort to mollify the North -- that this year's drills will be slightly toned down, with no aircraft carrier and no strategic bombers.

group of Chinese bloggers asked the United State to take up the cause of Internet Freedom in China

Group of Chinese bloggers asked the United States to take up the cause of Internet freedom in an unusual meeting on Saturday with Secretary of State John Kerry. One by one, the bloggers voiced concerns to Mr. Kerry, who arrived here on Friday to discuss regional issues with China’s leaders, that the ability of Chinese citizens to gain access to information was under siege and that the country’s prospects for becoming a democracy were uncertain at best. “Will you get together with the Chinese who aspire for freedom” and help “tear down this great firewall that blocks the Internet?” asked Zhang Jialong, a reporter for Tencent Finance, which reports on financial issues. Mr. Zhang, who was detained for three days in 2011 because of his posts about conflicts between the artist Ai Weiwei and the Chinese authorities, asked Mr. Kerry to look into reports that American companies had helped the Chinese government establish controls over what websites Chinese citizens could access. Wang Keqin, an investigative reporter who American officials said had been forced to leave an economic publication because of his critical reporting, said the cause of Internet freedom was “going backward.” “There is less of it,” Mr. Wang said. Ma Xiaolin, a former correspondent with the official news agency Xinhua who is a co-founder of a blogging site, said websites had become the main sources of news and expressed hope that the Chinese government would ease its Internet controls if relations with the United States improved. If China becomes a real partner of America, he said, “the Chinese government can feel more confident.” Seeking to reassure the bloggers, Mr. Kerry said that human rights were a perennial issue in his meetings with Chinese officials and that he had repeatedly taken up the cause of press and religious freedom. He said he had not heard the charges that American companies had helped the Chinese authorities maintain control over Internet access, but promised to look into the matter. “Obviously, we think that the Chinese economy will be stronger with greater freedom of the Internet,” Mr. Kerry said. The United States Embassy organized the 40-minute session a day after Mr. Kerry met with President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese officials. During the meeting, Mr. Kerry sometimes seemed inclined to see a glass half full, while the bloggers were worried that it was emptying. Wang Chong, a fellow at an independent foreign policy research center, wanted to know how the United States could help Mr. Xi build democracy. Mr. Kerry said American officials were working on many fronts. On democracy in China, he said, “A slow progress is taking place.” While elections “are within one party” in China, he said, there is often “a very vibrant debate at the local level.” He noted that it was important for American officials to maintain a dialogue with their Chinese counterparts, even as they pressed human-rights concerns. “No one country can come crashing in to say: ‘Do this our way. It is better,’ ” Mr. Kerry said. But some of the bloggers appeared to be looking for a more visible and dramatic gesture. Mr. Zhang, the financial reporter, said he was worried about “prisoners of conscience,” specifically Xu Zhiyong, a human-rights activist who was sentenced last month to four years in prison, and Liu Xiaobo, a writer and activist who was imprisoned after being charged with “inciting subversion of state power.” While in prison, Mr. Liu was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his “struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” Mr. Zhang wanted to know if Mr. Kerry would visit Mr. Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, who Mr. Zhang said was in poor health. The secretary of state did not directly respond to that appeal but noted he was only here for a day and a half. “We constantly press these issues at all of our meetings, whether it is in the United States or here, at every level, and we will continue to do so,” Mr. Kerry said.

Google want to make your Internet connection 1,000 times faster

Google is working on data transfer speeds that would make its Google Fiber service seem like dial-up in comparison. The company’s chief financial officer, Patrick Pichette, announced that Google was working on speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second — far faster than the 1 gigabit per second offered by Google Fiber in Kansas City,  How does that stack up against the competition? In theory, a 10-gigabit connection would be around 1,000 times faster than the average Internet connection in the United States, and about 400 or 500 times faster than your standard broadband connection,  But that doesn’t mean a subscriber would be able to take advantage of it. “Think about driving down an eight-lane highway and it’s moving great, and then you hit a tollbooth, and all of a sudden it slows down,” he said. “It’s the same thing with Internet connectivity.” If you’re downloading a program from a third-party without the infrastructure to support a 10-gigabit connection, then you aren’t going to see those blazing download speeds. advertisement Still, connecting with Google-owned sites — like YouTube, which recently announced it would start supporting bandwidth-intensive 4K video — would be a lot easier. Considering that Google Fiber is just now moving into its second and third cities (Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah), it might be premature to start fantasizing about streaming ultra-high definition cat videos. But Google’s innovations could encourage other providers to follow suit. “They’re putting some pressure on the system,” he said, “and they are pushing incumbent carriers to do a better job of stepping up to the plate and bringing faster connectivity to users.

Will the United States loosen its grip on the world wide web?

Globalising Internet governance Last.

Will the United States loosen its grip on the world wide web? The European Commission says it is time to curb the United States' influence over the net. The EU move builds on steady pressure in recent years to speed up the internationalisation of governing the Internet. Currently the US-based ICANN or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is responsible for much of the web's infrastructure. But the recent spying activities of the National Security Agency, have concerned Europe. Vice-president of the EU commission, Neelie Kroes now says its time the US loosens its grip on the internet. But how much is Washington willing to give up? And how will global internet governance be regulated? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Nigel Hickson, the vice-president for Europe at ICANN Andrei Soldatov, the co-founder and editor of Agentura.ru and specialist on Russian security issues, surveillance and internet regulation Pavan Duggal, an advocate of the Supreme Court of India and chairman of the ASSOCHAM Cyberlaw Committee.

1500 year old Church fund in Israel

1500-year-old church building, dating to the Byzantine era, was uncovered in Israel on Wednesday. The Israel Antiquities Authority was excavating a site where the Israel Land Authority is beginning new construction on a neighborhood in Moshav Aluma. The 1,500-year-old church building was a surprise to archaeologists, as it was the first of its size found in the area. Archaeological finds are always exciting in Israel because of the rich religious tradition and history found in the region. The Byzantine era existed from the 4th century until 15th century, when modern day Istanbul, then Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Turks. They scattered large basilicas from Europe to Israel. As a continuation of the Roman Empire, they were known for their ornate structures and use of religious relics. The discovery of this Church building in southern Israel did not disappoint in the production of ancient artifacts. The gem of this find was “a fine mosaic floor decorated with colored geometric designs; at its center, opposite the entrance to the main hall, is a twelve-row dedicatory inscription in Greek containing the names Mary and Jesus, and the name of the person who funded the mosaic’s construction.” Featured in the beautiful mosaic was over 40 medallions displaying ornately designed zebras, leopards, turtles, wild boars, and birds. A Christ monogram was also discovered in one of the many mosaics that decorated the floors and halls of the building. Utilizing the Greek letters Chi and Rho, the church often symbolized Jesus’ title as the Christ by forming a symbol. Though it looks like a cross, it is actually meant to be a reminder of the authority Jesus had as the chosen one of God. Check out a brief archaeology of Christianity. The 1500-year-old church building was surprisingly still well intact. It spanned 72-by-39-feet (22-by-12-meter) and utilized vast columns. Archaeologists Dr. Daniel Varga and Dr. Davida Dagan also discovered a large courtyard and various glass vessels, helping to date the excavation. The Aluma basilica is the only one of its kind in the area and a very rare find on the road between Ashkelon and Jerusalem. Islamic walls and Ottoman garbage dumps were piled on top of the 1500-year-old structured, so it took some digging to uncover. The site will be open to the public Thursday and Friday. After the archaeologists are done digging, they will remove the mosaics and relics. Before building begins by the Israel Land Authority, the site will be covered.

Stop forcing fruits to ripen is too dangerous stop it now!!

For those who are into the habit of forcing fruits to ripe permanently in order to eat them, or sell to others who consume them have been warned to desist from the habit as it is dangerous to human health and can cause damage to the liver and other vital organs.

This warning is being made by Dr Adam Onu of Garki General Hospital, Abuja. Onu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the application of chemicals on fruits caused such fruits to ripe permanently. He further said the practice distorts the natural taste and flavour of such fruits, while the he advised fruits dealers, who usually applied carbide on fruits, to desist from the act.

Also, miss Where Nwachukwu, an industrial chemist, condemned the practice of hastening the natural ripening processes of fruits with chemicals. Nwachukwu said the practice could cause fruits to lose natural ingredients and the supplements they were meant to provide. Stop it now!!